Spiffy:

Iffy:

No actual gameplay has been shown yet; perhaps a little too brooding and esoteric for the mainstream?

Remedy's turned the spigot one more notch in its gradual revelation of its brooding overland adventure starring the terminal confused Alan Wake, and his gothic horror outing into the wilds of the Pacific Northwest. After a brand new trailer, and an announcement the game will appear on both the Xbox 360 and PC exclusively (a real coup for those expecting to play this on the PlayStation 3), you're one step closer to bundling up your word processor, starting up your jeep, and driving into the Cascade Mountains to a small and oddly idyllic hamlet named Bright Falls.

Anyone who's traveled along Highway 14 from Portland, along the winding roads of the Columbia Gorge (and if you haven't, try it before the game releases for a real sense of what Remedy's accomplished here) has marveled at the scenery, then accidentally turned off the road and ended up locking your doors and speeding past a hamlet of ill repute, should know what to expect: A psychological action thriller in the pine barrens, a suspenseful hike through the finest rendered hills and peeling general stores, and more importantly, a grand example of the full power of the Xbox 360.

The trailer features the ramblings of a man on the edge, blurting half-sentences in fits and starts: "I was a writer ... Before my life fell apart ... My name is Alan Wake ... I came here to get help ...; To forget the past ... and to sleep again. But alone with the darkness ... the only thing worse than not sleeping ... is being awake." Wake is a best-selling suspense author (cue overtures of Misery; perhaps with a hobbling mini-game?) heading away from civilization to the quiet solitude of a small town in the mountains, near a lighthouse (which may play a pivotal role in the game) at the mouth of a river. His reasons for leaving it all behind him stems from the mysterious disappearance of his fiancée (cue comparisons to David Lynch's seminal Twin Peaks that starred a similar town, similar disappearance, and the same sprawling forests dotted with villages reached via winding roads pockmarked with potholes and rusting bridges.

Unlike the classic Konami franchise of Silent Hill, Alan Wake's journey to an odd settlement starts as the town is bathed in bright sunlight. The brand new screenshots reveal not only the attention to detail (wires strung from telephone poles), but architecture correct to the area (such as Craftsmen-style housing). The biggest change is the spacing of buildings in Bright Falls; the roads are lifesize, not a slightly squashed facsimile, which indicates just how gargantuan the playing area is likely to be. This adds to the sense of being alone, especially as Wake comes face to face with "his darkest nightmares." Judging by the trailer, this takes place in a fern and mist-filled forest.

The recently released trailer displays this in frightening detail, with Alan thrashing around in complete darkness, hearing scuffling sounds, and attempting to light a gas lamp, then drawing a gun as the camera screams into Wake's head, revealing the end of the trailer. What was revealed were driving sections in a jeep, and the rapidly time-lapsed footage of Bright Falls shrouded in gloomy twilight or glaring sunlight. The imposing church, the dilapidated mansion by the viaduct, and the remote lighthouse on the promontory all look to be key locations in Wake's mission-based gameplay.

Microsoft are touting the "intense and expansive cinematic world that enables players to roam freely in hyper-realistic, dynamic and interactive environments," not to mention "a deeply engaging and suspenseful storyline unveiling new twists and profound character revelations at every turn." Terrifying enemies are also promised, and Wake's weapon arsenal, aside from including regulation pistols, also involves forcing the denizens of the dark back using light itself, another nod to a certain Konami classic. Of course, Remedy are going to have their work cut out for them matching the obscene horror in Silent Hill, but given its track record creating crazy, mind-melding headspaces for characters to emote in, if anyone can out-weird Akira Yamaoka and his team, it's the Remedy chaps.

With wild hallucinations planned, an expansive environment to explore, and an utterly tormented lead character, Alan Wake looks to be a head-trip worth taking.